it is a safety thing.

 

Hi Calwldlife, not sure I understand.

 

a fan with clutch has less chance of becoming shrapnel.
i.e. safer on engine

 

Did you try E-Bay for a used fan.....?
Put a want ad in the For Sale section......?
There were over 50,000 of them made so someone has one......

Jebby

 

Yes and I did find (1) in KS but it had already sold... Thank you...

 

Everyone is giving you great advice.

Try calling Matt at the Vette Collector, 1-877-MY-VETTE.
He probably has either a used or NOS fan sitting in his warehouse.
It may not show on the website, so call.

Corvette Clinic in San Jose, CA has found numerous oem parts for my build and they are great to work with.

Bairs Corvette is great.

Also try Dr Rebuild who is another great source and he has an interesting website.

Those aluminum flex fans were very popular in the 70’s.
Many people replaced the oem clutch fans for the flex type because they were lighter and the selling point was they freed up hp and because the fan blades flexed they pulled in more air through the radiator.
Millions were sold and almost all motor homes and weekend racers had installed them.
Over the years some of the cheaper fans failed and came apart throwing the fan blades throughout the engine compartment.
There are probably millions still on vehicles today.

There are constant debates on whether electric fans or the oem fans work best.
Its really personal preference.
The oem clutch fans work really well but you need to make sure the clutch works properly, the shroud is all there and all the factory seals around the engine compartment are in place.
Electric fans, whether single or dual all work, but again, a proper shroud for the fan(s) and the seals need to be in place.

Also verify your sending unit and gauge are working together and that there is actually a problem.

 

Thank you very much for the leads will reach out them... Thanks again!

 

I always thought the opposite...found this in a Google search: "A fan clutch is a thermostatic engine cooling fan that can freewheel at low temperatures when cooling is not needed, allowing the engine to warm up faster, relieving unnecessary load on the engine. As temperatures increase, the clutch engages so that the fan is driven by engine power and moves air to cool the engine."

 

it never 100% free wheels but you are correct warmer starts to lock it up.. my lessons here
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...-79-l82-3.html

 

Hi All, Thanks again for all your hep with this.. OldCarBum, your lead to Matt (The Corvette Collector) was outstanding he was able to find a used/correct fan in his collection and was extremely fair on the price. I just could not find any place or anyone that could help me and Matt came through. Guys, if you ever need parts I highly recommend reaching out Matt he's fair and really a great guy... Thanks again!

 

Also wastes less hp when not needed..
Of course an electric fan setup wastes even less hp ...

I've had good luck with one of these in my 74 for the last few years.. worked better for me than a new clutch and my stock fan and shroud did.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/160822306344?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=I7IN4M5aT7u&sssrc=4429486&ssuid= iu_mfZGWSS-&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

 

I’ve purchased several things from Matt that I couldn’t find at any of the vendors.
He is a great source and great contact.